


don’t read the last page

by coveredinsun



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Light Angst, also a teensy bit of, and im also cheesy as fuck. and im not ashamed of it, cliche romantic sunset scenes because im a simple lesbian, especially mai and ty lee bc they’re my fav sapphics, flustered mai! flustered mai!, good luck reading this one! i wrote it instead of sleeping, i have discovered the most fun thing in the world: writing flustered sapphics, no beta!!! we die like MEN!, the inherent homoromanticism of an introvert/extrovert pairing, the love i have for them is immense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:53:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27669140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coveredinsun/pseuds/coveredinsun
Summary: Mai kept to herself that maybe, just maybe, she wished she ran away with that girl. That stupid, amazing, lovely girl. She kept to herself how grateful she is that the universe brought them back to one another.Mai has always loved that girl– that is beyond any words she could ever say.-or, mai can never say what she’s thinking
Relationships: Mai/Ty Lee (Avatar)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 36





	don’t read the last page

**Author's Note:**

> i love mailee with my ENTIRE heart. i think it would be wrong to not write them, so i finally did. not to mention i lose 250 years off my life every time mailee is only the background ship. put them in the forefront!!! more mailee-centric fics 2020!!!
> 
> \- let it be known that i aged down mai two (2) years. in the series she is 17 when ty lee is 14, here she is 15 during the series. the timeline is unaffected, so mai is only 13 years old when tom-tom is born. it just made sense to me that they’re the same age if they went to school together and im the writer i make the rules

“You have a crush, don’t you Mai?”

Suddenly Mai felt her hand grip the small table she sat at. Across from her was Ty Lee, ten years old and grinning widely. After a few moments of staring at her flabbergasted friend, her jaw dropped and she practically yelled, “You _do!_ Who is it?”

“Oh, uh…” Mai’s eyes darted around the room, looking for someone random to say. That method proved unsuccessful considering she attended the Royal Fire Academy for _Girls_. Then all she could do was stare back at Ty Lee wordlessly, eyes scanning over all her features as if she hadn’t done that a million times before.

Thankfully, Azula came to the rescue. “Who cares about boys anyway? I just mastered a new move that you _need_ to see!” 

“Yes!” Mai blurted out, “Let’s see your new move. Right now.”

Azula lifted a rather judgmental eyebrow. “Right now? I assumed we would wait until once we were finished eating.”

“Mhm. Right now.”

If there’s anything the princess enjoyed, it was flattery. “Oh well! If you insist!” 

Mai sighed in pure relief as Ty Lee directed her attention to the other girl with a small pout. Mai’s grasp on the table loosened and her heartbeat slowed. The truth was avoidable that time because Azula was there– what would happen when they were alone? 

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


It was not so easy when they were alone. Sleepovers with Ty Lee were always fun, though not this particular time. 

“Tell me who your crush is!” Ty Lee persisted.

“I don’t have one.” Mai lied. The pink across her face made that obvious.

“Oh, please. You’re such a phony! Just tell me who it is. I promise I won’t tell anyone.” 

“No.”

“Please?”

“No.”

_“Please?”_

_“No!”_

“Why not!” Ty Lee snapped. “I would love to get you two together!”

Mai would love that. But she didn’t say so, only lied on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. “I bet you would.”

“I’m a great matchmaker, you know!”

“I do know that.”

“Ugh! You are so difficult!” Ty Lee dramatically flopped onto her back, so her and Mai’s faces were only inches apart.

Mai felt like she would stop breathing. If the world stopped spinning at this moment and the sun melted everything away, she would be perfectly content with where she was when it all ended. 

Mai snapped back to reality. “Well… uh… who’s _your_ crush?” 

Ty Lee’s eyes went wide and she turned her head away when the blush spread across her cheeks. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

Yes, Mai would. “Meh.” 

“It’s not even a huge crush. You know I never really cared much for _boys_ anyway. If I ever were to run off and join the circus, they’d never come with me.” Her eyes turned to the ceiling. “But maybe you would.”

“Me? Why me?”

Ty Lee shrugged. “I know you hate it here. And if I had to run away with anyone, it would be you. That sounds fun, doesn’t it? Traveling the world together? Just the two of us?”

If this went on for any longer, Mai couldn’t be entirely sure she would survive. Breathlessly, she answered, “...Yeah. Sounds fun.”

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


Mai was fourteen now, and things were different.

Zuko was gone; he had been for two years already. Sent on what everyone knew was a suicide mission. As much as Mai wanted her friend back, it was out of her hands. It wasn’t a matter of the Avatar returning, it was a matter of Zuko realizing he never would. But that was out of reach. 

Mai had a little brother now, even if it didn’t feel like it. She didn’t see him often. He was always either sleeping or with her mother. Oh, her mother. So quick to put Tom-Tom’s needs first and foremost. It would have irritated Mai more than it already does if it weren’t so in-character for her mother. Her father was distant as always, putting all his effort into the war he was already winning. 

Yet things were still the same. 

Azula was still going strong. Still progressing in more and more, well on her way to becoming a firebending master. Recently she had learned how to make blue fire, an astonishing feat not even her father could do. _That_ surely made the Firelord as close to proud as he could get. 

And yet, through it all, Ty Lee was still there. Still bubbly and cheerful and the best out of her sisters (even if she didn’t like being compared to them). Her skills in acrobatics was unparalleled, only getting better by the day. Mai loved watching all her demonstrations, of course. She loved seeing what made Ty Lee happy. She loved seeing Ty Lee happy. 

That’s what Ty Lee seemed like that night– _happy_.

Mai had been invited to her house, but disliked how disruptive Ty Lee’s sisters were. So they went to their little spot, the one point that overlooked both Caldera City and the beach just a short walk away. The sun was setting now and it felt like this moment, this world, was all theirs. And if it never ended? That would be fine. 

“It’s beautiful,” Ty Lee looked out over the city, it’s familiar cobblestone roads and bustling marketplaces. 

Yet Mai could only look at her. “It always is.” 

“Too bad it’s the last time I’ll be seeing it.”

“What do you mean?”

“I didn’t know how to say this,” with a nervous fiddling of her hands and a sigh, Ty Lee admitted, “I’m running away. To the circus.”

Every function in Mai’s body, except breathing and blinking, came to a halt. “What? You weren’t kidding about that? Why?”

“I don’t like it here, Mai. It’s– you know how it is.”

Mai looked down. “I do. What… pushed you off the edge?”

“My parents. They said something about courtship to me and my sisters. That we should all start thinking about eligible men to court, so maybe down the line we could have a choice in which would be best to marry. Something like that. I said I didn’t want to, and they got all mad at me.” Ty Lee huffed in frustration, tears gathering in her eyes. 

Mai understood the struggle of the good old courtship talk. The only difference was that it was inevitable as an only child. Maybe _she_ couldn’t avoid it, but Ty Lee potentially could. “But why run away? Aren’t there other solutions?”

“No, there aren’t. I have six other sisters! If somebody wants me, they’ll settle for them, too. We’re interchangeable. It won’t make a difference if there’s one less.” 

Mai thought of ten thousand different things to say, but only settled on one as she looked up to her friend. “It’ll make a difference to me, you know.” 

Ty Lee locked eyes with her. “That’s why I want you to come with me.” 

“Come with you? Are you crazy? I can’t do that!” 

“Why not? I’ve thought about this a lot, Mai. Neither of us like it here. The universe is practically _begging_ us to get out there and do something else, go somewhere where we _can_ be happy _._ Running off to the circus is my calling, and I think it’s yours, too.”

For the shortest moment, Mai believed her. It was a dreadfully pleasant thought, running away and travelling wherever the wind took them; only ever worrying about the two of them and no one else. No Azula, no courtship, no _war_. It was nice… but unrealistic. “I can’t. They need me here.”

“Who? Who needs you here? You mother, your father? Tom-Tom? Zuko? I wouldn’t be asking this of you if I didn’t think they’d be okay. This is best for _both of us._ The universe is telling me that. So stop being stubborn and just come with me.” 

Ty Lee reached over and then both girls could focus on nothing else besides the feeling of each other’s hands in their own. “Come on. I know that you want to.” 

Mai _did_ want to. “No. I’m sorry.” 

A tear ran down Ty Lee’s cheek. With a sniffle, she retracted her hands and stood up. “I’m going anyway. With or without you.”

Mai could only look away and nod. “You were always persistent.” 

Ty Lee started home, and Mai would never forgive herself for being too cowardly to go after her. 

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


“But you joined the circus. You said it was your calling.”

“Well, Azula called louder!”

Mai wanted to say that that was bullshit. She could tell by the flicker of doubt in Ty Lee’s eyes, the way they glanced to the ground before coming back up. Ty Lee could create a very long list of things that called to her– those shoes, that skirt, that one right answer in mathematics class– but none were louder than the _universe._ Not even Azula. 

It was unfathomably awkward the first few weeks of that mission. They stayed in that odd contraption for a while in Azula’s search for the newly returned twelve-year-old Avatar. Their quarters were small and empty. Mai couldn’t think of anything other than Ty Lee, how he liked to pretend nothing had ever happened between them. But how could she say that? It was _her_ fault for refusing to run away. If anyone was to blame, it was Mai. 

Mai was never very good at starting conversations. She didn’t need to; if someone wanted to speak with her, they’d do that. _Don’t speak unless spoken to,_ her mother would say. That was easy. 

Speaking to Ty Lee was not easy. In the slightest. She assumed it would come naturally as it always had before, but it didn’t. So she stood there at Ty Lee’s door for two, five, ten minutes a day before giving up and going back to her room.

It happened just like that for weeks, day after day of building up courage just to knock it all the way back down. The idea of this making Ty Lee think Mai didn’t care about what they had? That only made each time more agonizing than the last. Because it was more utterly untrue than anything, ever.

Until one day during their stay on the drill, still some miles from Ba Sing Se, Ty Lee opened the door. She appeared somewhat shocked. “Oh. Hi.”

“Hey. Uh… can I come in?”

“Sure.” Ty Lee’s room was nice to be in. Decorated with things other than knives. But that wasn’t something Mai could find it in herself to think about. 

The only thing available to sit on was Ty Lee’s bed, so Mai chose that despite hating its putrid pink hue. “So…”

Ty Lee looked to the ground and started on a classic tangent of hers. In one breath, she rapidly said, “I’m sorry I left. That was so mean of me to do and I’m so sorry I put you through that. You didn’t deserve that. I have no idea if you’ll forgive me but I hope you can eventually. I didn’t want to initiate any conversations in case you weren’t ready for that yet. Sorry again.” 

Mai hesitated before answering. It’s been a while. “I mean… it’s over now. What’s done is done. I’m sorry for talking to you like you were crazy. You weren’t.” 

“So… am I forgiven? Just to clarify.” 

“A little bit, but not entirely. Not right now... Sorry.” Mai stood up and started to the door. When she got there, they each muttered a somewhat content _goodnight._

Mai kept to herself that maybe, just _maybe,_ she wished she ran away with that girl. That stupid, amazing, lovely girl. She kept to herself how grateful she is that the universe brought them back to one another.

Mai has _always_ loved that girl– that is beyond any words she could ever say. 

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


First they were in Ba Sing Se, on casual speaking terms. Not a whole lot more than small talk, painful as that was (though not very, as Azula tended to go on a lot of conquering-the-world rants to pass the time these days). Then Ba Sing Se fell, the Avatar was killed, Zuko regained his honor by a miracle and they could go home. 

Then they were on Ember Island, at the party, at the arcade, on the beach. It was a blur of a day. All Mai could remember was being angry at someone, she couldn’t even identify who. But it wasn’t Ty Lee. No, it wasn’t. Ty Lee cried that night, and Mai knew for a fact she wasn’t the reason in particular.

Everything seemed inexplicably better after that. They went home and it seemed just like before. Zuko was back in Caldera City, but more importantly, so was Ty Lee. And Mai appreciated it much more than she let on. At some point she decided Ty Lee had made quite enough of a genuine effort to restore their relationship and was forgiven. Mai never said it out loud, but she seemed to get the message. 

Then the eclipse arrived and the entire capital evacuated. Mai spent that day with Ty Lee, chatting their minds off. Just like old times. Even moreso when Mai returned to the city and discovered that Zuko was gone again. But it was not a public spectacle like last time, just a letter. A single letter.

Of all the times Mai has been confused and angry about things Zuko does, this one tops the list. Maybe she went on one or four rants to Ty Lee about it, so what? It was a dick move. Zuko was her best friend; this was just mean. 

“And now he’s just gone. Joined the _Avatar!”_ Mai said with a huff, almost ready to bring her latest rant to a close, “Can you believe that? First he hunts him down and then joins him? It’s like he’s come full circle in the worst way possible.” 

“Yeah,” Ty Lee agreed in her spot on Mai’s bed. “Clearly, it’s the universe saying he has _something_ to do with the Avatar. Zuko is somehow always preoccupied with him, whether it good or bad. It’s just like when we were kids, you know?”

“When we were kids…” Mai mumbled. Then idea struck, and it all made sense. “That’s it. We should run away. You and me. Go somewhere.”

“What?”

“I’ve never been spiritual, you know that. But this can’t be a coincidence. It’s the exact same, isn’t it?”

“No, it’s not. Back then the Earth Kingdom was still a threat. Now the war is practically won. It’s different.” Ty Lee looked to her feet.

“But the war isn’t over yet. And the Avatar is _alive_ , and Zuko is helping him. Who knows how much longer it could go on for?” 

“I don’t know. But we can’t leave until its actually over. We can’t abandon Azula.” 

“Azula? Of all people you’re afraid to abandon, it’s _Azula?”_ Mai… didn’t know what to feel. Maybe her heart had seized control of her brain, her emotions taking the wheel, but it felt like a _waste_ , all of it. The way they’ve worked to build _whatever they had_ back up just for Azula to knock it down; the way Mai is _still_ never anyone’s first choice– none of it is uncharacteristic. What did she expect?

Before Ty Lee could answer, a maid knocked at the door. Ty Lee was closer so she went to open it. The maid held a letter. “For Mai.” 

Ty Lee took the letter and thanked the maid as they exchanged bows. Then the maid left just as quickly as she came back. A still-angry Mai moved over to collect the letter. 

“Can I explain myself, Mai? Please? It’s not–”

“No.” Mai unfolded the letter and started to read it. Zuko broke into a prison, got caught, and is currently in custody. But not just any prison! The Boiling Rock! Because that man apparently cannot get any more idiotic.

“I have to go.” And without another word, Mai left. 

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


The next time they saw one another, Mai and Azula were ready to kill each other. By Azula’s side stood Ty Lee– that was no surprise. Only confirmed everything Mai had already been thinking. 

Azula charged up her lightning; Mai got out her knives. It was now or never. Mai took a deep breath, preparing to feel the incoming blast of heat or the electricity pulse through her veins. She composed herself, made herself ready to feel any pain that would come her way.

But that pain never came. Azula, the shining princess and crown jewel of the Fire Nation, fell to the floor in a shocked heap. Mai was frozen in place, only snapped out by the familiar touch of Ty Lee pulling on her arm, telling her to get out of there. They were outrun by guards quicker than Mai could muster a response– if she even had one. Before she could fathom the sacrifice just made, she and Ty Lee were separated, thrown into prison cells an unnecessary distance from one another. 

There Mai sat and thought about Ty Lee. It was so familiar to do that. She felt guilt this time, guilt for leaving Ty Lee angry, guilt for assuming she’d choose Azula any day of the week, guilt for vastly underestimating how much that girl cared for her. If Mai knew anything, it was one undeniable fact– Ty Lee would do anything for her. Even face the wrath of Azula. And that felt nice, because Mai would do the _exact same._

There were lots of things Mai wanted to say, and the most important one was that she loved Ty Lee– always has. The fear that it wasn’t clear lingered in the back of her mind. And if Ty Lee doesn’t feel the same, oh well. The words will finally be free.

In her prison cell Mai planned out exactly how she’d tell Ty Lee she loved her. When they were freed, they did not see one another until Zuko’s coronation day. All day they smiled and laughed along in their own respective groups, until they locked eyes in the courtyard almost to sunset. They gravitated toward one another like magnets.

“Wanna get out of here?” Ty Lee suggested, “It’s getting boring.”

“I was just going to say that. Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Ty Lee nodded. Mai took her hand (that feeling never got old, by the way) and snuck out of there without a trace.

They climbed back up to their spot between the city and the beach and maybe it could have felt like they were ten years old. They sat there comfortably for a while, looking over the water. 

Mai took a deep breath, felt the rise and fall of her own chest. “I have something I want to say.”

“Oh, really? Good, because I do too.” Mai’s heart skipped five beats; maybe Ty Lee felt the same. Hopefully she did, or else Mai’s hopes were up for nothing. 

“I just wanted to say that I, uh… love you?” Mai stared at the other girl as her faced alternated between shocked and happy.

“What? Really? I was just going to say that I’m joining the Kyoshi Warriors. But if that’s the case then I definitely love you too.” Ty Lee said it so easily that it made Mai blush in embarrassment. That didn’t really matter though, since she was already grinning like an idiot. She’d be annoyed if anyone else could see her, but right now she only reveled in this feeling.

But wait. Rewind. “Hold on. You’re joining the Kyoshi Warriors?”

“Yeah, it means I’ll have to live on Kyoshi Island. Is that okay with you?”

“Of course it’s okay with me! If that’s what you want, do it.” Mai smiled. She’d do anything to make this girl happy.

“Good. You coming along?” Ty Lee locked eyes with her. 

“Of course I am.” 

They looked at each other for a moment. This moment felt slower, more surreal. Mai could have sworn the sun stayed in the sky just for them. It almost felt like forever until Ty Lee said–

“Alright, now that _that’s_ out of the way! Can I kiss you already? Or do we have to look at the sunset for five more minutes?” 

Mai rolled her eyes. “What do you think my answer is?”

Then she pulled in Ty Lee for the kiss. She’s been waiting for this for only, what, five years? Six?

If you asked Mai to describe it in words, she wouldn’t know what to tell you other than one thing: it was better than how she thought it would be. 

Once they pulled away, Mai only had a few more words to say.

“By the way, I do have a crush.” 

**Author's Note:**

> yeah ok if mai is out of character at the end SO WHAT. i do not care bc this was entirely self indulgent. tbh i just think hanging out with ty lee instead of zuko all the time would have a positive effect on her (though i do love maiko. don’t get me wrong. but the whole goth/femme thing these two got going on is so near and dear to my lesbian heart). 
> 
> title from “new years day” by taylor swift!! not folklore but i think it fit. anyways if u wanna talk to me about it hmu on tumblr @coveredinsun or twitter @ahsokatara and i can definitely rant to you about mai or ty lee or both tbh. and if u love ty lee as much as i do, feel free to check out my 30k airbender!ty lee fic


End file.
